Marcus Dixon on ‘Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel’

Those of you who have been following the Marcus Dixon story be sure to see the current episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. Here’s what’s on that episode (which is running several more times over the next week or so):

Marcus Dixon

In a major development following REAL SPORTS’ probing report last fall on the imprisonment of Vanderbilt football recruit Marcus Dixon, the Georgia State Supreme Court overturned the aggravated child molestation conviction against the former high school star May 3 in a 4-3 decision, throwing out his ten-year prison sentence. The conviction for statutory rape, which still stands, carries a maximum one-year sentence; on May 4, Dixon, now 19, was released after 15 months behind bars. Bryant Gumbel returns to Rome, Ga., to interview Dixon and update his Emmy(r)-winning October 2003 report, which sparked national interest in the case. Dixon, who is black, was 18 when he was accused by a 15-year-old white student of raping her in a classroom of Georgia’s Pepperell High. He maintained throughout the racially charged trial that the sex was consensual. The severity of the sentence shocked many involved in the case, including several jurors who had found Dixon not guilty of the more serious charges of forcible rape, false imprisonment, sexual battery and aggravated assault.

Correspondent: Bryant Gumbel

Greek Drama?

Home to the first modern Olympics in 1896, Athens, with its spectacular landscapes, ancient ruins and vibrant culture, was a dramatic and exciting choice when it was named the site of the 2004 Summer Games in 1997. Now, with less than four months until the Games begin, wary onlookers have expressed concerns that the city is ill-prepared to host. In addition to transportation problems, a significant number of Olympic venues remain unfinished, potentially leaving less time to install security measures. Greek officials, who have said they are spending $1 billion on Olympic security, insist everything will be in place in time for opening ceremonies, scheduled ominously for Friday the 13th. REAL SPORTS, in collaboration with Sports Illustrated, travels to Athens for a closer look.

Correspondent: Bernard Goldberg.

Landing on Her Feet

Yuliana Perez, the reigning USA Outdoor Triple Jump champion, beat overwhelming odds to become a 2004 Olympic hopeful. She was born in Arizona as an American citizen after her parents migrated to the U.S. in the 1980 mass exodus from the Cuban port of Mariel. Her father had a criminal record and was imprisoned when Perez was a toddler. When she was five, her mother was tragically killed by a stray bullet in a drive-by shooting. After stays in numerous foster homes, Perez went back to Cuba, where she lived with relatives and became a national junior champion. In spite of her talent, Cuban officials dropped her from the national team before the 2000 Sydney Games because, she says, she refused to renounce her American citizenship. Perez made her way back to America, where she had no home, no job, and spoke very little English, but never lost sight of her goal to compete in the Olympics. With the U.S. trials coming in July, Perez, who now lives in Tucson, may be only a few jumps away from her Olympic dream.

Correspondent: Frank Deford.

All three of those stories were excellent and well worth watching. After seeing the Olympics story I don’t blame any of the athletes who have pulled out of the games due to security concerns.